When Paras Bakrania joined the full-time Masters in Finance (MiF) he attended with less-than-typical experience as an analyst at a fledgling hedge fund start-up.

Not only was he the first of his family to complete university – an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge – he also secured a pre-MBA internship with Credit Suisse, before joining the School. And, in his first few months at LBS, was offered a full-time associate position with AQR Capital.

“I worked for a small start-up hedge fund which started to close down. At that point business school seemed a good option,” he says. The start-up where he worked, which specialised in trading short-term derivative strategies, confirmed to him that he was in the right industry, but he admits “there were gaps in my technical knowledge” and the MiF enabled him to plug them.

Paras chose to study finance at business school because he planned to move to a bigger organisation. Through the School’s network, he wanted to expand his opportunities.

A year to go big

So, why choose a MiF at London Business School (LBS)? “The MiF at LBS is very unique,” he says. “You won’t find anything like it anywhere else in the world. It’s a one-year course with many of the opportunities of a two-year MBA, without sacrificing finance exposure.” He gave himself one immersive year to build up his finance knowledge and chose to do so in London; home to 75 per cent of the top 500 global companies. LBS’s international brand played a part in his decision-making. “Fantastic recruiters come to the School because of its reputation and connections. That’s an incredible resource,” he says.

Paras was awarded a 50th Anniversary Scholarship when he applied to join the MiF. The financial freedom allowed him to take valuable electives: instead of working during half terms and holiday periods, for example, he took Topics in Asset Management, an elective relevant to his future plans.

“It’s a great feeling to know that I’m a full scholar at the School, it does a lot for my confidence,” says Paras. Especially as part of an ambitious, high-calibre cohort. “Being confident around your classmates helps you get the most out of the experience.” And if getting the most out of the experience means nurturing a strong network, building the career you want, and enhancing your confidence, Paras is doing indeed just that.